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"Elixir Guitar Strings: Are They Worth It?"

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The question is: are Elixir guitar strings all they are cracked up to be? Or is it just the power of marketing?

Personally, I don't use them. But I'm not going to sit here and bash them either. There are definite pros and cons to using Elixir guitar strings. In fact, I used to use them, back when I was convinced that they were the best strings I could buy. But, that was before I played in a band every night...

Let's look at the pros and cons of my experience with Elixir's now:

Bad things about Elixir guitar strings:

Cost: Elixir strings cost almost twice that of a good set of Ernie Ball strings. Unless you are the type of person that feels better about something just because it costs more, I would go with the Ernie Balls.

Think about it, when you break a string from playing a lot, you have to replace the entire set (or, you should). The cost just adds up when you play out a ton and buy strings often. You could buy two sets of Ernie Ball strings and have a backup pack for almost the same price as a single set of Elixirs.

That special coating they boast so much about can actually limit you: Ever try to execute a nice long pick scrape while using Elixirs? It doesn't work. The special coating stops you from doing a cool pick scrape. That might be worth it, depending on your style of playing.

Do they really last longer? in my experience, Elixir strings die just as quickly as other strings. Ok, I haven't tested them scientifically. I'm just speaking from regular old experience here. After a couple weeks of beating on any guitar, the strings are going to start to lose their vitality. It just happens.

Good things about Elixir guitar strings:

They do seem to be a little brighter: If you like a bright tone, these are your strings. They definitely seem to bring out notes more clearly through an amplifier. Of course, tons of distortion doesn't count. But they sound great clean. Maybe they are the perfect jazz strings?

Use them in the studio: In spite of that special coating stopping you from performing cool pick scrape sound effects, I can see how they would be great in the studio for recording. You would get less "string noise" when shifting positions. Try moving you hand up and down the neck with regular strings. Hear that turn table DJ effect? You don't get that so much with Elixir strings.

I guess anyone playing in a Rage Against the Machine cover band would be out of luck...

They have a pretty cool name: Yes, Elixir guitar strings have a very cool name. It sounds like something that would get you back to full health and MP at the last minute in a Final Fantasy game.

So what are the best guitar strings?

I recommend trying a few different brands for at least a couple of weeks each. See what you like about each kind of brand. Stick to the one you like the most. That's what I did, and I like Ernie Balls the best. But you might pick something different. Go out and get some strings, and play your guitar! Keep it fun!

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